Відео

If you put a plastic before pouring the concrete the humidity is gone...is better that having the vapor barrier that you have to replace

Realize this is a year old but hoping someone will reply - up north, if you were to insulate the walls (so as to be able to run pipes and drains in the space and not worry about freezing/bursting) would there be value in also insulating the ground (would it be under or over the plastic barrier?) and one heat line and one cold air return to the furnace to keep air moving (cold in summer, hot in winter) - is that the right or wrong way of thinking?

No. Not true. Worked for contractors my entire life who do end to end. And never have issues these people are trying to rip people off. And encapsulation of the block huh?? What do you think it's sitting on duh...

One thing that can’t get through concrete would be rodents. My crawlspace was constantly being used for rodents to tunnel from the outside, under the cinder block wall and surface through the dirt floor in the crawlspace. All they had to do next was chew through the vapour barrier, and now they have a nice place to call home. I spent years searching for holes on the outside and inside, filling them with steel wool, copper mesh, expanding foam and finally concrete. I contacted a contractor who specializes in encapsulating crawlspaces, and a concrete floor with a dehumidifier was his recommendation. He said that in situations like ours, it won’t totally eliminate rodents getting in (it’s an old house after all), but it should prevent 90-95% of them. That’s the route we are going with.

5 ⭐️ for UnderStructureRepair in Bristol. $3 per square feet of area. + 500 set up fee + $1900 top dehumidifier. They were 1/2 what the others were but proved they were superior. Low overhead. Super Professional.

I was told that gravity feed to outside from a dehumidifier will allow stuff to eventually clog up the tubing creating a condensation backup. Therefore, a pump is necessary to keep the water moving out instead of just letting it dribble out by gravity. Your thoughts?

What if used the spray foam but left a decent sized gap around the top for termite inspection? I live in north Alabama. Any help would be appreciated.

Why do you prefer steel beams over wood drop girders?

Reviewing your videos, you appear transparent, honest and reliable. My question here is you state you previously installed these systems and apparently by being preferred you installed numerous systems in many homes; what did the company do after they realized the negative effects? How did you respond, if any, to customers you had sold and installed these systems into their homes? Thanks!

That seemed incorrect for some reason

Great information. Thanks

I had a company called Southern dry fully encapsulate my crawlspace under my house that was built in 1963. About a week after installation I noticed the dehumidifier had been running non stop since. I crawled in there to check the dehumidifier which was set to 50% but it was still 71% in the crawlspace. I called them the next day to ask if that was normal for it take awhile to get it to the set humidity, the gentlemen I spoke with said the moisture content of the wood was very high and as long as its been exposed to that environment, it could take 60-90 days get the humidity to 50%

You don't have a vapor barrier on ground

what if you had two fans installed on opposite ends of the crawlspace working at the same intensity and ... would you create a vacuum inside the crawlspace? hmm...

It's foolhardy to even suggest that there shouldn't be a drainage system installed anywhere in the United States in any residential home. When it rains and if the grade is not correct a drainage system will be needed. Let's take an average of 1100 square foot crawl space like mine. So that means doing a lot of planned in advance. Then on perimeter trenches, lots of digging in the crawl space and other areas where you know the drainage is needed, and hauling out a lot of dirt. It takes 54, 5-gallon buckets to remove one yard of soil. Each bucket weighs about 55 lb. That's many thousands of pounds. And then the intense labor to dig the trenches, haul nearly 3 yards of 3/4 rock down into the trenches with 3 to 4-in perforated pipe, with a very porous fabric around the pipe. This then with 2 to 3 inches of rock atop perforated pipe in trench, covered by 2 to 3 inches of rock. So, Trench, then the fabric along the surface of the soil trench, then the rock then the pipe then more rock covered flat along the grade. Once that's all done and it works correctly, it all channels into a sump pump pit and proper 15 gallon basin that's perforated and back filled with three to four inches of rock around the sump pump basin with a proper sump pump like a Zoeller. So when this guy says $6300 to $7,000, that's untrue. Add another $5,000 if you have a contractor do the drainage system. Then add a new sump pump & basin. And if there's any structural work needing to be done, that needs to be taken care of before anything else. That includes replacing posts, removing old insulation and so on. All told, if you have a company do all this, it'll be over $20,000. If you do it yourself with structural work, drainage system included, and then a good 12 to 15 mm Vapor Barrier partial or full encapsulation it'll run you anywhere from 4 to $6,000 but you'll need to hire a team of two guys to help you because three guys minimum needs to do this job. If you do it yourself you run out of steam, make mistakes or quit. There are rare occasions of course that one guy can do it but it's really make sense to hire a couple of guys that are General Contractors that follow your plan to the letter. Tooling up and supplies will run you at least $1,000 alone. Spend at least 6 months to 12 months planning this on paper. Have contractors come out and look at it, you'll learn a lot but never use them. You'll pick up some helpful tips from them for free. Some will give you bad advice but you learn to know what's good and what's bad advise. You'll need to Electrify your crawl space as well so you can see. Otherwise you're not going to do a very good job. That runs anywhere 300 to $1,000. The longer you research the easier to get. You can't research this in a few weeks and expect to do it next month. You'll fail. Otherwise plan out, find a couple of general contractors to charge anywhere from $30 to $50 an hour. Their labor alone will run you around $3,500. Hope this helps!

Nice surface to work on if you have to go underneath. protects the vapour barrier from damage Keeps critters out.

Bad video. We need to see the work and the problem, not your face bro.

You can get fans to blow outwards rather than inwards. Plus, do you need to periodically clean the blades to optimise ventilation?

Hmmm. Good points here. I had not heard this explanation. I still like the idea of a flat surface under my home and in my mind the combo of the vapour and concrete together is added conditioning......but good point that a vapour barrier would be needed either way and if cost is a consideration then maybe stopping at the vapour makes sense.

What would a professional do to prevent this?

very helpful my dude. Straight to the point

Thanks for all the great advice. I hope you can help me with an issue. The crawl space floor is concrete. There are 2 pony walls. The walls are open 2x4’s, 32” high. One is about 48’ long, the other is about 27’ long. They sit on a concrete curb that varies from 2” up to 6”. How do I deal with installing the sheet plastic in/around these walls to get an effective encapsulation? I don’t want to close them off as I need to be able to pass thru the walls to access plumbing/electrical in the future. Thanks, Jon

Or other new alternative resources that people use to build homes now? What do people do for tiny homes?

Would this work with an earth rammed house?

Will this help take the smell out of the house?

Thank you so much for the information!

I was quoted 13,800 for a sump system installation by a local company in my area, included was the sump, battery backup and demo of the border in an 800 square foot basement.

HELP. i live in a condo on the first floor. My crawlspace has zero mould issues. im looking for a solution to extreme cold winters here in Canada. the floor of the crawlspace is concrete, and when the concrete get cold it radiates cold air causing my floors to be very cold. I have had the crawlspace spray foamed but the air becomes trapped and gets colder and colder. Any ideas?

That’s great to know cause i was just about to do just that!! Thank you

Appreciate the video, lots of good points. I think what's missing and could be added to future is mention of climate specifics, many of us live in states where dehumidifiers are a waste of money, anywhere. Southwest is best example of place where DH is a bad idea, waste of good money both upfront and ongoing costs, SouthEast & HI are great examples where this approach would probably work well. natural ventilation or very low powered exhast is a better approach IMO where your climate lets you get away with it, but that same approach will get you sued in FL or HI locals.

What did people do for the last 100 years before encapsulation became a thing. It’s great if you can afford it

I am guessing a dehumidifier and a sealed crawlspace is often the better answer, but that involves a lot more up front money, operating costs and maintenance than fans. i bought an old house with 70 years of crawlspace humidity issues and it shows big time. My humidity sensor will show 60% or less RH outside and RH in the high 80s in the crawlspace. If i can get fans to get that outside air replacing that humid crawlspace air, I will be in a whole lot better situation. You still have to get the right fan set up for that to happen and that i am afraid is easier said than done.

What if you have a wrap around porch that covers 1/3rd of your crawlspace ? New vapor barrier, open vents (8), just added two fans to keep air circulating. I was having issues with my hvac lines and ductwork sweating and causing water to pool only in those areas. Should I be trying to reinstate all of that? Or have I taken the proper measures at this point ?

😊👍🏿👍🏿

I've heard professionals recommend a ventilation system not to REPLACE a dehumidifier, but to add to an encapsulated crawlspace to prevent radon from having nowhere to escape but up through the house. Can you speak to this at all?

U need a fan end of story

I’m going to use that paint, but I waterproofed my basement from the inside first

What would be recommended for a crawlspace in a flood zone where hydrostatic pressure is a concern and from what I can tell FEMA requires a vent to relieve that pressure

In fairness, the vent fan is way better than no fan. Also, in my experience, homeowners do not properly remediate mold, they simply spray some disinfectant and hope for the best - like using this fan. That mold was probably there before the fan was installed.

This was much needed Thank you👍🏻🫶🏻

What about venting air out of the crawlspace toward the hottest side of the house? Also, how would I use retired indoor HVAC returns as part of a whole house ventilation system? Needless to say, my HVAC system died no thanks to local addicts that destroyed it to harvest copper. So, fed up, I yanked out everything, the ducts, system, etc. I wish I had not pulled out the ductwork, but if my theory is viable, then I'd run my own ducts and create a ventilation system that creates negative pressure inside my home and then all that sticky hot South Carolina air is exhausted outside. I also am thinking of positioning exhaust fans to push air out of the crawlspace, which in itself would increase air flow in my crawlspace. I've done a lot of research and made observations. The later May (2024) days were perfectly dreamy: cool, dry; negating use of even ceiling fans. But the payback is fast approaching as I brace for the hot humid summer months. Thus far, after learning how to use compass settings, time of day and hotter areas inside my house, this what I have concluded: The coolest area in my house is a finished garage with 9' ceilings, a concrete floor, that would be on the northeast side of my house. I hired a guy to tack radiant barriers in my attic, but like most day workers around here, he did only a part of the attic and disappeared. With a lot of radiant barrier on hand, I have cut sheets of it an tacked it over the windows with the greatest sun exposure (West). which happens to be the front of my house where large oaks and cedars align each side and provide shade (that results in a mold buildup on that side of my house). I hung heat-blocking window curtains throughout the front of an enclosed porch (done by the previous owner who'd not fathomed the energy vacuum all those windows were causing). Next, since I'd pulled out all the duct work (which I regret) for which I'd paid a few thousand to upgrade four years prior, I tried to stuff material inside the returns and remaining ducts behind the registers. I did not remove the registers thinking that they may come in handy one day. I've had numerous energy audits and everyone reminds me to install weatherstripping around doors, and they provide conflicting judgment regarding my insulation, which is plentiful, but may be upside down. I also learned that I do not push insulation to the far edges because that's where venting should provide air flow. So, I've got to cut in spaces to install those vents under my roof's overhang (whatever it's called). Then, I bought a new dehumidifier that's Energy Star rated. My older one ran up my electric bill, and I had not learned to not put it in an unsealed crawlspace. I had installed vapor barrier when I moved in, but I know I have to crawl under there to straighten it out and tape/seal the edges to prevent them from shifting and exposing the dirt. The dehumidifier I bought on sale at Walmart for $150 in March works great for pulling humidity from the air, but its blistering hot exhaust simply negates any value of dehumidification. What I noticed, however, is that after I'd emptied the bucket of water (that fills up in less than 8 hours here, which is across the street from the very large Lake Marion. So, I'm going to try allowing the moisture to drain continuously, which I'll direct outside onto a little garden I've started. Since Another thing I did for the first time living here (since 2014), I turn on a ventilation fan that the prior owner had installed in that covered sun porch. Maybe it's because of the gorgeously comfy May weather, I can't yet tell, but the subtle air flow is having a positive effect. I also have to check to see whether my attic's fan, positioned in the gable of the west facing side of my roof. It's supposed to kick on once it detects 95 degrees, which in the coastal plain of the Carolinas is pretty much constant. If that works, I am considering positioning a fan on the other end (northeast) and use it to pull cooler air from outside into the attic. Then, I plan to install a small room ventilator (like the one on the front porch and bathrooms) in what appears to be the central hot spot between my small kitchen (that has a mostly eastern and southern facing exposure. I've got to crawl under the house (which I hate doing) to find what I suspect is water leaking, and then replace and insulate the plumbing. I have a question, if anyone has gotten this far in my story, regarding whether to use my wood burning fireplace to exhaust the hot air from my dehumidifier. Or, whether to close and seal the flue during non-use months. Or how would one advise how I would use or not use my fireplace to exhaust air. Otherwise, I have to fashion a sealed hood and attach it somehow (probably aluminum duct tape) to the dehumidifier exhaust. And I remain flummoxed over whether to close/seal my crawlspace vents (which I do in winter) to prevent hot humid air from coming in which then collides with the relatively cool air, which, voila, contributes to punishing, suffocating humidity (that has ruined by solidifying my spices). In reading about these challenges recently, I'd delighted to confirm the use of rock salt as a natural moisture absorbent (and, for the Catholic-aware, help create a spiritual no- trespass barrier to help repel what clearly is an area overrun by nasty, diabolical entities. It works, it really does. I'll have to share how in another post somewhere). I love the idea of using charcoal, too, which I knew helped purify water and air. I'll place a bunch of coal in my fireplace, which faces the humid-hottest area of my house. Lastly, I'm a fan of ductless minisplits. I have one, a Blueridge unit sold by Kentucky-based Alpine Home Air, and had it installed on the south wall. The 12K BTU has performed brilliantly, and is so efficient that I can hardly tell by the utility bill that it's even drawing more current. I have to fix it, though. My fault that I'd decided to wash off the outside unit/compressor while I was angry about something. This interfered with cognition, as I failed to switch off the breaker. The water surged the mother board, and I've got to get a new one. (Alpine Home Air is the best! It truly is. I'd had a Senville unit 8-9 years ago that was nothing but trouble. I couldn't find anyone in the SC Lowcountry of Midlands that worked on minisplits, and finally, I reached the company's president at the company's headquarters in Canada. Dealing with a non-American company proved disappointing after I was ignored for two years, and by the time I got a response from Senville, the warranty had expired. (Regarding the Klimaire situation, the unit is made in China like most of these things, but the Amazon merchant is based in the United States. The avenues and regulatory advocacy authorities available and more often helpful in resolving such matters, were not able to resolve the totally wasted $800 I'd blown on the Klimaire 12K BTU minisplit. I wouldnt' recommend them, nor would I recommend a Senville unit unless they have esince established registered agents in our states. I am a honest to goodness fan of Alpine Home Air, which has superb customer and technical services, and its repair and parts division often carries parts for other manufacturer's units. They may not be the cheapest, but they are the best, and you do get what you pay for. So far, my response to sun positions, blocking, and closing off certain rooms not in use, or that's on a sunny side; positioning fans, ceiling fans has helped. I'd replaced all of my light bulbs years ago, hardly turn on lights other than to read, cook and clean; and I use a tankless water heater. I have four 100-watt solar panels and everything that goes with it, which I bought 8 years ago when money, physical strength, and inspired intent were abundant. (Not sure what I'll do with those.) My plan is to focus on ventilation, air movement, and strategic exhausting, which I've already observed has greatly reduced the dust buildup in my house that the multiple air purifiers don't seem to affect. Finally, based on my experience, recent learning, and your professional advice, [HydroHelp, from the beautiful Queen City Charlotte, where I happen to know as an area native is dominated by intolerant, demanding and uniquely knowledgeable clientele that expect excellence for their money, which has contributed to an area of exceptional professionalism in the trades and service providers. I should move back there so I could benefit from your decency, skill and knowledge. That region, to my recollection and recent knowledge, has companies that deploy uniquely reliable, proficient, and knowledgeable professionals blue collar and all. Not kidding. You are a breath of uncommon, ethically-infused fresh air that rises above the status quo environment choking with greedy predators, incompetence, exploitation and swindlers that for me, caused me to exhaust my entire savings to redo or lose whatever I'd paid these jackasses to do. At least that's been my experience in central South Carolina. We do have a response Consumer Affairs and Protection agency, but generally, one would have to retain a lawyer to recover from losses that aren't covered by insurance. And the bond that businesses tout having doesn't mean a thing to the customer, because the bond only helps defend the crooked contractor from liability and complaints. (Not many folks know that.)

Well. Going to get a vapor barrier.

That mold was probably there before the fan was installed.

I have a restoration company on NC do you do any work in Cleveland county?

Sir, I am so grateful for your video and explanation, this morning I saw a property in fayetteville, NC there isn't any moisture barrier at all and insulation hanging mid air. I saw a second property, got word the encapsulated crawl space was done 2021...sounds like a winner. Again, thank you.

So I was advised on a push/pull fan set up for a small crawl space that is making an “addition” to the house, because there’s no structural damage but musty smelling in a small spot of that add on. Would this be the best route than? 1950s wood frame house in Central Florida (heat and humidity)….

19k for mine, had standing water in heavy rains, no mold. 1200sqft 24" height (low working height) contactor hand dug added drainage pipe and gravel, added sump pump 60' exterior drain pipe, pier and wall encapsulation with insulation. Aldair dehumidifier with remote controller.

I was hoping these videos would so you how to nail all the studs together. That would be super helpful

4/30/2024 - A vent well will prevent water from entering the crawl space, if water is pooling around the vent well at a level higher than the bottom of the vent.

Thank you for the information